


The Scientist

by Crypto_Is_Octanes_New_Gamer_Chair



Series: One Word Prompts [4]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Confusion, Death, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Near Death Experiences, Respawning, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25874272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crypto_Is_Octanes_New_Gamer_Chair/pseuds/Crypto_Is_Octanes_New_Gamer_Chair
Summary: The world was tipping, shifting.You found yourself staring up at the roof of your chosen haven before it drew a little closer. Had someone picked you up?The thought was troubling as you couldn’t feel anything. Were there arms wrapped around you or not? The roof was moving, sunlight suddenly blinding you.
Series: One Word Prompts [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877560
Kudos: 11





	1. Mercy

Your fingers scrabbled desperately at cracks in the rotting wood floor, the pain of splinters digging into the sensitive flesh beneath your nails going completely unnoticed with the help of the adrenaline flowing through your veins with every terrified beat of your heart.

_What happened? Where am I?_

The questions were many and numerous, flooding whatever part of your brain was still able to think.

You remembered coming out of bunker with your squad - all three of you new to the games and therefore innocently ignorant of the repeat champions’ abilities and tactics - an odd cylinder had landed in your midst. An odd rapid beeping had filled there air before it was replaced by a green fog that had the three of you gagging and coughing. 

The first breath of the toxic air hadn’t changed much, an odd tingling in your chest being the only warning before you gasped a second time, the tingling turning into a burn, pins and needles spreading through your body starting at your fingers and quickly spreading inwards.

You don’t remember when you landed on hands and knees, mind screaming for you to get out, get away from the toxin rapidly spreading through your body.

That felt like hours ago as you dragged yourself into the nearest building, choking on your sobs as you felt your limbs fail you. 

You lay there, terror running rampant through your body as you struggled to breath. It felt like someone was using a grater on your lungs, the agony making you wish you could honestly just stop. Dying sounded so easy. There was fear that came with the thought but what did it matter anymore? You weren’t getting out of this.

The sound of approaching footsteps didn’t register with you as you hugged the line between consciousness and the dark beyond it. 

The world was tipping, shifting.

You found yourself staring up at the roof of your chosen haven before it drew a little closer. Had someone picked you up?

The thought was troubling as you couldn’t feel anything. Were there arms wrapped around you or not? The roof was moving, sunlight suddenly blinding you.

You moaned softly in pain, unable to shield your eyes from the glaring light though it didn’t last for long. 

An uncertain moment passed before you were propped up. You could see water running over your boots and legs, a second pair alongside your own.

_So someone did pick me up,_ you thought absently, _but why bring me out here? Gods, it hurts so much_.

A hand gripped your chin then, turning your face towards the unknown opponent, the gas mask and goggles that came into sight causing you to jump slightly. Caustic. That’s who it was.

You whimpered softly when he squeezed your cheeks together, there being a sensation of the pressure but all you could feel was the burning agony in your core. 

The scientist reached up to his own mouth then, taking a small white tablet from between his lips to push it into your mouth. It was sweet, the pill dissolving on your tongue as you stared up at him.

What was he doing?

A warmth passed through you, easing the pain to a dull throb, your body regaining a little feeling.

You coughed, the sound harsh as the scientist sat you up, one arm at your back to support you, his other hand gripping your chin as he leaned you forwards. Blood dripped into the water between you, the way Caustic was holding you keeping the blood from choking you.

A sense of gratefulness filled you then, the scientist waiting for you to stop coughing before sitting you back against his chest again.

Too weak to make a sound you just lay against him, listening to his heartbeat. You absently wondered why he was helping you - you’d heard the rumours, god everyone had. He liked to watch people die. Enjoyed experimenting on the last few minutes a person had.

A rustling sound reached your ears, causing you to crack open eyes you hadn’t even realized closed. You saw the scientist pull a chip out of one of the front pockets of his outfit, pushing it into the pocket on your vest.

_Was that a respawn chip?_

You couldn’t ask.

Honestly you were too tired to even consider why the scientist would give you his respawn. You were trash, fodder to dilute matches with. There were hundreds just like you yet here was the terrifying Caustic giving you his own respawn.

You stared up into his green gaze, eyes questioning though he didn’t respond.

You probably wouldn’t have heard it anyways.

Exhaustion filled you now in place of the adrenaline and fear that had kept you going, your eyes closing as those arms around you silently comforted.

_You better win,_ you found yourself thinking in your final moments. _I don’t deserve this. You don’t need to die for me._

Darkness was quickly approaching as you lay there, half in the scientist’s arms.

_I don’t deserve your mercy._


	2. Respawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “First time is always the worst,” an unfamiliar voice reached you. “Side effects will include loss of feeling or phantom sensations from when you died.”
> 
> You looked up at the nurse, the young woman smiling too brightly for the current situation. “Can you describe what you’re feeling right now?”
> 
> “Uh...” You blinked, struggling to put into words exactly what it was you were feeling - or not feeling. “My chest kinda hurts, can’t feel my legs.”

Waking up to a sense of nothingness was terrifying, feeling almost as if you were stuck in limbo. But you were safe here, there was no pain, doubt, fear. Nothing. Just a feeling of a thick covering, not the cold you were expecting.

It didn’t last long, however, sensation, thought, and consciousness all coming rushing back in the blink of a moment.

You jerked upright, gasping. 

You winced prematurely, expecting the breath to burn as memories of burning lungs brought phantom pain that was no longer there.

Walls of pristine white filled your vision, even the bed you were lying in had sheets that were almost unrealistically clean. Crisp, as if they had been taken off a shelf in heaven just for this exact moment, in preparation for bringing you back.

_I died,_ you thought to yourself, panic rushing through you when you realized you couldn’t feel your legs.

You grabbed at the sheets, desperately trying to uncover your legs, heart in your throat as you expected the worst. 

Both legs were right where they belonged however, your brow knotting in confusion.

“First time is always the worst,” an unfamiliar voice reached you. “Side effects will include loss of feeling or phantom sensations from when you died.”

You looked up at the nurse, the young woman smiling too brightly for the current situation. “Can you describe what you’re feeling right now?”

“Uh...” You blinked, struggling to put into words exactly what it was you were feeling - or not feeling. “My chest kinda hurts, can’t feel my legs.”

“Yes, this is normal,” the nurse answered with a laugh as if it were the funniest thing in the world. “You’ll be back on your feet in no time. I would recommend waiting for the doctor though, especially when you are having trouble feeling your legs. Can I get you anything while you wait?”

You thought for a moment before shrugging. “Just some water I guess.”

“Of course,” the nurse answered, tapping at the screen of the datapad in her hand a few times before turning to leave. “I’ll be just a moment.”

You settled back for a moment before sitting upright again, pushing away the dizziness the suddeness of the action brought on. “Wait! Is the game still going?”

The nurse paused in the doorway, half turning to look at you with a smile. “No, it finished a few hours ago. We like to wake the eliminated contestants up gradually.”

_That was gradual??_ You pushed away the thought quickly. “Who won?”

“We’re not supposed to say until everything finishes airing.” The nurse answered, though she remained in the doorway. “Is there someone specific you want me to look into?”

You nodded slowly, feeling a little nervous. “C-Caustic.”

The nurse smiled even wider, “oh no need for me to look. He already came by.” She answered, nodding towards the flowers sitting atop the nightstand.

You stared at them, taken aback by the knowledge that the legend that had killed you -and been awful nice about it compared to what you’ve heard- brought you flowers while you were out. You had thought them to be one of those things just found in hospital rooms.

Did Caustic feel bad for killing you? That would make no sense, he took great pleasure in killing others and watching them die... 

_What makes me different?_ You wondered silently before pulling the sheets aside and carefully swinging your legs over the edge of the bed, taking a moment to recover from the dizziness before lowering your feet to the cold floor. You could feel a little bit than not much.

Looking around you saw a tv in the far back corner of the room, what you presumed to be the remote set on the windowsill.

_Really???_ You wondered in annoyance. If you couldn’t get out of your room you could at least watch the after game interviews to see if you could get any clue as to why the scientist had given you his respawn _and_ been... you hesitated to call it ‘kind’ but what other word was there for sitting with your enemy, give them some sort of med or whatever and make it so that they died as comfortably as possible?

It was that burning question that had you half crawling across the room for the remote.

_Why had the great Caustic acted the way he did? Why did he spare you the horrible death you had expected?_

There was only one way to find out.


End file.
